Minnesota Twins No. 2-ranked prospect Kaelen Culpepper has been called up to the big leagues and could make his MLB debut on Friday against the Milwaukee Brewers. He is also ranked No. 29 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100. 

The 23-year-old shortstop is slashing .271/.367/.478 with 14 home runs, 46 RBI, 31 extra-base hits and 17 stolen bases with an .845 OPS across 74 games with Triple-A St. Paul this year. 

The Twins will surely benefit from his defense at shortstop, as he is highly touted as a consensus top prospect who has registered well-above-average exit velocities at Triple-A. 

Culpepper is ranked right behind outfield prospect Walker Jenkins, and with Culpepper getting promoted, Jenkins will certainly be next in line to make his debut, illustrating a bright future for the Twins. 

Twins rising star Kaelen Culpepper gets his "call to the show"

While injuries (hip and glute strain) slowed down his performance and delayed his call-up, overall, Culpepper's production has been consistent. He boasted a .349 batting average in June and brings a solid five-category-contributor skill set. 

The Twins are currently in a tight race in the AL Central with the surging Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians, who are neck-in-neck in the standings with them, and would benefit from his offensive spark. 

The rising star can provide plus contact and quality power with a 20-home-run upside. In addition, across four games in August, he's resurged, batting .375 and enhancing his production.

As a 2024 first-round pick, he has rapidly ascended in Minnesota’s farm system. Now, he has been passed the torch and likely get his opportunity to shine as a compelling young hitter who will be tested against MLB pitching.